Georgia continues to recruit defensive backs at an elite level. The top ranked safety in the Class of 2024 and the nation’s No. 16 overall prospect Peyton Woodyard has committed to the Bulldogs.
Woodyard is a 6-foot-2, 190 pound four-star out of St. John Bosco in Bellflower, California. Woodyard has been a priority for head coach Kirby Smart for quite some time. Woodyard started making trips to Athens as a freshman in high school.
Woodyard’s most recent visit to the Classic City was his unofficial visit for the Georgia vs. Tennessee game. The outcome of that game, how the defense performed, and the interaction with the coaches really moved the needle for Woodyard. The blue-chip prospect indicated as much in a recent Rivals interview.
“What really stood out to me was coach Kirby [Smart] and the whole staff. As always, they roll out the red carpet,” Woodyard said. “Coach Fran [Brown] is a great dude, and he takes care of me every time I go out there. My relationship with him and the whole staff is wonderful.
“You have four DB coaches there, and they’re just there to get you better—coach [Will] Muschamp, coach Fran, Kirby Smart and coach [David] Metcalf—they’re all DB guys, and specifically Kirby is a safeties coach.”
This is a battle in which Georgia went toe to toe with Ohio State and Texas and won. As the national landscape of college football changes, the recruiting rivalries between these schools will only become more common. USC, Notre Dame, and Alabama all were in hot pursuit of the talented safety as well.
Woodyard is the seventh commit for Georgia in the 2024 class. Woodyard is the second commit in the class on the defensive side of the ball, joining linebacker Demarcus Riddick from Alabama. The addition of Woodyard raises Georgia to No. 1 in the 2024 team rankings. –
Source: UGA RIVALS; Blayne Gilmer • UGASportsStaff @BGilmer18